Prosecutors pursue Silvio trial

The Milan prosecutor’s office has requested that Silvio Berlusconi Fininvest’s owner and Italy’s former prime minister, be tried on corruption charges, judicial sources said Oct. 4.

Judge Fabio Paparella is expected to decide on the request in the coming days. The move is related to bribe payments of 330 million lire ($200,000) to tax officials, the sources said. Another 20 people are involved in the inquiry, which was opened Sept. 20, including Berlusconti’s brother and business partner, Paolo, and Salvatore Sciascia of Fininvest.

The Milan prosecutor’s office believes that between 1989 and 1992, three Fininvest units (TV production company VideoTime, insurance unit Mediolanum and publishing group Mondadori) and pay TV company Telepiu – 10% of which is controlled by Fininvest – illegally paid tax officials to avoid fiscal controls.